The year 2020-2021 seems to be a very good opportunity for the Province of Pampanga to renew its commitment in the implementation of its provincial nutrition programs. The Dissemination Forum on the Results of the 2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology for the Province of Pampanga on 29 October 2020 showed the following:
On Food Security, five (5) out of 10 or fifty-one percent (51.5) households in Pampanga experienced acute food insecurity, evident in households with poor wealth status and three (3) out of 10 (31.9%) households in Pampanga experienced chronic food insecurity.
Among children under five aged 0-5 months, infant ang children alike, the prevalence of underweight was 17.4% and stunting was 21.2% among under-five children were both medium public health problems in the province, significantly higher among poor than non-poor households. Wasting/thinness, 5.0% was assessed as poor based on the WHO cut-offs. Overweight prevalence was at 6.7%, and it is significantly higher in the province compared to the national estimate, this should not be taken for granted as they will be at-risk to NCDs later in life if not prevented. Furthermore, overweight is also significantly higher among non-poor than poor households. On the other hand, anemia prevalence among children 6 months to 5 years old was at 8.0%, considered as a “mild” public health problem.
The school-age children, 5 to 10 years old were not spared from malnutrition although the rates were significantly lower than national estimates. The prevalence of underweight is at 18.8% while stunting is at 15.2% in Pampanga. The ENNS revealed that every two (2) out of 10 school-age children were underweight (18.8%) and stunted (15.2%) while 9 out of 100 were wasted (9.2%). There were more underweight and wasted school-age children among males and in poor households. Stunted school-age children were mostly among females and in poor households. Two (2) out of 10 (17.3%) school-age children were overweight/obese; mostly in non-poor households. Similarly, anemia prevalence (14.1%) was higher than the national estimate and considered a “mild” public health problem like that of preschool children.
With regards to breastfeeding, five (5) out of ten or only 53.8% of infants were initiated to breastfeeding within one hour after birth. Four (4) out of ten or 44.2% infants were exclusively breastfed during the first 6 months of life. A low proportion of young children aged 6-23 months old met the minimum dietary diversity at 18.6% and acceptable diet at 7.8%.
Among women of reproductive age (15 to 49 years old), overnutrition (40.0%) was a more common problem among non-pregnant/non-lactating women. Two in every 10 (23.0%) pregnant women were nutritionally-at-risk in Pampanga. Lactating mothers in Pampanga, at 13.3% were nutritionally at-risk or having Chronic Energy Deficiency, a ‘medium’ public health significance while overnutrition (31.1%) was also an emerging problem among this group. Anemia was of ‘mild’ public health significance among non-pregnant/non-lactating women (11.5%) and lactating mothers (13.6%) in Pampanga.
NPC Ana Maria Rosaldo of the National Nutrition Council gave her reaction, through a call to action for the province and the Provincial Nutrition Committee of Pampanga. She challenged the sectors such as the Agriculture, Social Welfare, Agrarian Reform and Public Employment Service Office in the province to collaborate in identifying the households, fifty-one percent (51.5), affected by food insecurity because of the pandemic which resulted to retrenchment, loss of job and less opportunities to earn income to secure or to buy food. She challenged the sectors also to intensify programs through provision of livelihood programs, establishment of food gardens, skills development and job generation in order for these households to be economically productive and have income in order to have economic access to food. She also said that the province may consider organizing an inter-agency task force to address acute food insecurity in the province, engaging the municipal and barangay nutrition committees (M/BNCs) as well in order for the M/BNCs formulate local nutrition action plans that consisted of a mix of strategies and interventions that are proven effective to address underweight, stunting and wasting.
NPC Rosaldo further recommends the following: 1) for the province to seriously consider designing a program to address overweight among children; 2) Integration in the school curriculum physical exercises especially now that school activities will be limited to sitting down as the approach to teaching is online and is modular; 3) Strengthening nutrition education using multi-media platform, even with the pandemic despite the social distancing, the P/MNC can still tap the services of nutrition and health workers at the barangay to deliver information on health and nutrition.
Addressing hunger or food insecurity should be a whole of province approach In building resiliency against the pandemic and future shocks, investing in food and nutrition security is imperative for our local governments and regional line/national government agencies.
Author:
NO III Angelita M. Pasos
6 December 2020
